spoiled brat

Chapter 49, Section 48: Flying Catkins (Part 8)

A chilling sensation pressed against the back of Zhao Zhao's neck; she knew it was the coldness of metal and dared not struggle any longer. Above her, the prostitute's smug laughter rang out: "So what if you play the pipa well? A prostitute's most important thing is her appearance. Without hair, how will you show your face at official banquets and curry favor with the masters!"

It's quite remarkable that she could come up with such a method. Cutting someone's hair doesn't ruin their appearance, and it's not easy to punish them severely. At most, she would just get a whipping, but Zhao Zhao would have to lose a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Snip, snip... Zhao Zhao heard the sound of her hair being cut cleanly at the root. She struggled like a dying animal, and the scissors almost pierced the back of her neck several times.

The prostitute disliked her but had no intention of killing her. She angrily shouted, "Are you tired of living?!" Then she told her two accomplices, "Kill her!"

A furious shout rang out from outside the small archway: "Stop!"

Upon hearing this voice, Zhao Zhao's eyes suddenly welled up with tears. The three prostitutes, however, jumped up as if struck by lightning, their eyes meeting those of the limp old woman with a gloomy face.

"You beast!" The old woman limped up, snatched the scissors from the prostitute's hand, and slapped her across the face. "What grudge do you hold against her that you have to ruin her future? We're both unfortunate people, why are you making things difficult for each other?"

The prostitute was slapped so hard that her head turned to the side, and half of her face instantly became red and swollen.

She stared at the old woman through teary eyes, and said indignantly, "Yes, we are all unfortunate people, why make things difficult for each other? You speak so righteously, but when my sister was killed by that bitch Wang Liuer, why didn't you stand up for justice!"

The young prostitute's older sister was the previous top courtesan who saved Wang Liuer. Later, after her biggest client and lover was stolen from her, she committed suicide by jumping into the lake.

The old woman pointed to Zhao Zhao, whose neck had been pierced with several small, bloody holes, and said, "Every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt has its debtor. Why are you making things difficult for her!"

The prostitute sneered, "Who told her to collude with Wang Liuer? You don't know, ma'am, these past few nights she's been taking Wang Liuer down from the tree, feeding her, and keeping that bitch alive!"

The old woman looked at Zhaozhao: "Is this really true?"

Zhao Zhao met her probing gaze directly and shook her head without blushing or skipping a beat.

A complete mess. The old woman squatted down, examining Zhao Zhao's hair. Not much had been cut; a new hairstyle would cover it up.

She coldly told the prostitute, "Get out of here. If this happens again, even your dead sister can't protect you!"

Upon hearing her sister's name, the young prostitute suddenly burst into tears. She tried to say something, but was pulled away by her two friends.

After they had gone some distance, the old woman helped Zhao Zhao up and sighed, "Don't get too close to Liu'er."

Zhao Zhao looked up at her, a hint of doubt in her eyes.

"Liu'er has violated the principles of gratitude that we, from all walks of life, value most. If you insist on getting close to her, others will inevitably speak ill of you."

More friends, more paths; more enemies, more walls. How could Zhao Zhao not understand such a simple and pragmatic truth?

She gave a cool laugh: "Grandma, this world is really strange. Everyone says that Sister Liu is ungrateful and stabbed her benefactor in the back. But Sister Liu has been kind to me, and it's my duty to repay her. Why is everyone forcing me to be an ingrate?"

After finishing a bowl of sweet soup, Wang Liuer, who had been feeling weak, regained some energy. She leaned listlessly against the headboard and asked Zhao Zhao, "Has there been any news from Yang Yi?"

Zhao Zhao shook her head, and fearing she would be disappointed, she added comfortingly, "Let's wait a little longer."

Wang Liuer closed her eyes and sighed, "Go to sleep."

The night was extremely long.

Zhao Zhao was a light sleeper, and she heard someone open the door in the middle of the night. She thought the house had been burgled, but when she peeked through the crack, the frail figure leaning against the wall and squeezing out of the door frame was none other than Wang Liuer.

Where is she going in the middle of the night?
Zhao Zhao got up, slipped on her shoes, and carefully followed Wang Liuer from a distance, all the way to the row of woodsheds outside the west gate. Wang Liuer leaned against the wall and went around to a corner, so Zhao Zhao could no longer follow.

"Why are you doing this? You risked your life to earn money, and instead of saving it for your own release, you're going to help others! They hid in the mountains to avoid trouble, how could they possibly risk their lives again?"

“I don’t expect them to do anything, and don’t tell them they’re spending prostitutes’ money,” Wang Liu’er pleaded. “If it weren’t for my father leading everyone to stop the sedan chair and seek justice, none of us would have died or fled. Now that my father is gone, I have to take care of everyone for him.”

Zhao Zhao felt a surge of warmth in her heart. No wonder Wang Liuer, who had been the top courtesan for half a year, was so poor. She only had one set of jewelry and few sets of fine clothes. It turned out that she had given away all her money.

The man hesitated and said, "If your father were alive, he would definitely want you to pay to redeem yourself, not to offer yourself to a tiger..."

"The spirit in heaven?" Wang Liuer sneered. "Have you forgotten that my father's remains are still buried under the riverbank? Those who are impaled cannot ascend to heaven!"

Zhao Zhao cautiously approached, wanting to listen more carefully. She didn't make a sound, but the squeaking of mice came from beside her feet, attracting the attention of the two people in the corner.

The man rushed out, saw no one, and breathed a sigh of relief: "That thing is hard to get; it won't arrive for a few more days."

He paused, then added, "There's something I can tell you, that old man really likes..."

He walked back to the corner, and the rest of his words were unclear. Zhao Zhao tried hard to make out what he said, only managing to make out things like "birthday banquet," "river affairs," and "father-in-law of the emperor"...

A birthday banquet? This prefect had been in office for less than a year, yet he already had a reputation for virtue. Upon taking office, he oversaw river management, bringing the once treacherous Xun'an River under control, earning continuous praise from the people.

What grudge did such a good official have against Wang Liuer? Is it true that her father was buried under the river embankment and a stake was driven into the ground?

Zhao Zhao felt uneasy, as if she were trapped in a fog from which she couldn't see clearly.

Finally, the two parted ways. The man left first, but Wang Liuer lingered.

Zhao Zhao held her breath and cautiously peeked out from behind the tree. She saw Wang Liuer squatting in the corner burning paper money. Her tearful face did not look pitiful in the dim light of the fire, but rather exceptionally resilient and stubborn.

The waning moon cast a long, long shadow of her thin back.

-

Perhaps it was the cold wind at night, because Wang Liuer fell ill the next day.

After finishing her morning exercise, Zhao Zhao brought back the food and knocked on the door, saying, "Sister Liu'er, the food is here."

There was no sound inside.

They called out again, but there was still no response.

Zhao Zhao felt uneasy and squinted as she peered through the crack in the door.

There was a pen lying on the ground, and further ahead, Wang Liuer was lying next to the guzheng for some reason.

Zhao Zhao shouted a few times, but couldn't wake up, so she had to go around to the yard and climb out of the window.

Once inside, Zhao Zhao noticed that Wang Liuer's face was flushed, her forehead was covered in large beads of sweat, and she was delirious with fever, muttering something to herself.

This is a high fever.

(End of this chapter)